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Muir-Hill
at Bromyard show in 2008]] Muir Hill (Engineers) Ltd based at Old Trafford in Manchester, started in the early 1920's. Amongst other products they built rather basic petrol engined locomotives, mainly for narrow gauge. The early locos were little more than a Fordson tractor skid mounted on a rail chassis, with a chain connecting the rear axle of the tractor to the rail wheels. The firm was sold in 1959 to the Winget group from Rochester, Kent. The Brand Name now belongs to Lloyd Loaders (MH) Ltd of Mytholm Works, Hipperholme, Halifax, Yorkshire. History at work with early Priestman dragline at Threlkeld mining Museum VET open day in Cumbria.]] Amongst users of Muir Hill locomotives were the slate quarries of Blaeneau Festiniog, and the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway (who still have two). Production of locomotives did not continue beyond the 1930's, but Shunters based on the Fordson tractor were built till the 1950s; The company expanded on to building a range of heavy tractors and construction plant. Time Line at the Belvoir Castle Steam Rally in 2007]] * 1920s - Founded in Trafford Manchester By Messrs. Hill And Muir, as a Foundry company. * 1921 build rail locomotive based on a Fordson skid unit, for Weldon & Portishead railway.http://www.portishead.f2s.com/wcpr/Stock/Rail-tractors/rail-tractors.html * 1926 - Build a improved engine for Weldon & Portishead railway. * 1927 - Dumper conversion based on a Fordson Model F * 1930 - Shovel based on Fordson tractor * 1931 - Taken over by E. Boydell a director of the firm who renamed it as E. Boydell and Company Ltd. * 1932 - 2 cu yd Dumper based on Fordson Model N, with bigger versions introduced. By 1939 they had built 1400 dumper and loading shovels. * 1939-45 - They built 14,000 dumpers for the Ministry of Supply. After the war they bought up surplus machines to stop the market being flooded and converted them to farm use as the "Powercart" * 1946 - MH 10B dumper introduced with forward or reverse driving position. Based on Fordson E27N unit. * 1954 - 2WL the first 1 3/8cu.yd capacity hydraulic Loading Shovel, introduced by E. Boydell. * 1959 - Sold to Winget Ltd of Kent. * 1962 - Winget relocate MH to Gloucester. * 1962 - BD4 4-wd loader of 1 cu yd capacity. Uses a Ford Skid unit, Brockhouse torque converter, Roadless Epycyclic gearbox, and a Kirkstall steering drive axle. * 1966 - David J B Brown Engineer joins from Northrop and instigates design of new Loading Shovel range with lifting capacity ranging from 4000 lbs to 6000 lbs. Also introduce the MH 101 tractor, for agricultural and industrial applications. * 1968 - Name change from E. Boydell and Co Ltd back to Muir-Hill Ltd following sale of Winget (Gloucester) Ltd to Babcock and Wilcox Ltd. * 1969 - Engine up grades to model range; ** MH 101 fitted with a Perkins 6.354 engine a 6 cylinder and became the MH 110. ** The new 110 tractor was designed for export as Perkins suited some markets. ** MH 161 tractor introduced, with a Perkins V8.510 engine (the most powerful tractor in the country at this time). ** Trailer Dumpers were introduced. Designed to be hauled by the new current tractors i.e. *** The 13 and 20 ton models for use with either the MH 101 or MH 110 tractor. *** The 25 ton model was designed for MH 161 tractor to pull. * 1971 - MH 101 fitted with Ford 2715E engine. * 1972 - MH 121 Series II tractor replace the MH 101 tractor, but continued to utilise the Ford 2715E engine, from the old MH 101. * 1972 - MH 111 introduced fitted with Perkins 6.354 engine, to replace the MH 110. (Cosmetic upgrades as well). * 1975 - MH 171 replaces MH 161, using Perkins V8.540 engine * 1978 - Corporate reorganisation see Muir-Hill, and Winget, along with Blaw Knox and Allatt move into Babcock Construction Ltd, division of parent co Babcock international (Successor co to Babcock and Wilcox). * 1978 - Series III range ** MH 141 launched with choice of a Ford 2704ET engine or a Perkins T6.354. * 1983 - Tractor production ceases, under corporate restructuring. * 1982 - Muir Hill sold as part of the Babcock Construction Equipment division to Wilbau AG. of Germany. Wilbau was part of the IBH Group. * 1983 - IBH Group fails, and Muir-Hill and Winget sold by the receiver to the Sanderson Forklift company of Croft in Lincolnshire in June 1984. * 1984 - Sandersons complete 3 MH 171's left over at Gloucester, for sale to British Steel, at Ravens Craig steelworks. * 1990 - Sanderson Fails:- ** Winget sold to Seddons of Bolton, ** With Muir-Hill and Sanderson sold to Aveling-Barford of Grantham, Aveling Barford were then owned by Wordsworth Holdings. Aveling Barford had been part of Leyland * 1991 - Lloyd Loaders (MH) Ltd of Hipperholme, Yorkshire buy Muir-Hill from Aveling Barford. Lloyd loaders having being rebuilding and servicing Chaseside machines till JCB bought them out. They then started rebuilding MH machines for customers and build new machines to order. Tractors The range of tractors was designed as powerfull 4 wheel drive heavyduty models . They were sold to Larger farms for heavy ploughing and a lot were used by forestry contractors, some being fitted with Cranes. Others were utilised by Construction Contractors for site haulage on civil engineering contracts, some being fitted with swan neck dump trailers. The tractors were based on Ford parts. Model Listing muir hill 131.jpg|Muir-Hill 131 4WD Tractor muir hill 141 and dumptrailer.jpg|Muir-Hill 141 4WD Tractor with dumptrailer muir-hill a5000.jpg|Muir-Hill A5000 4WD-4WS Loader Muir hill b12000.jpg|Muir-Hill B12000 4WD Loader Muir Hill XL200.jpg|Muir-Hill XL200 Hydraulic Mobilecrane MuirHill xl 200 at work.jpg|Muir-Hill XL200 Mobilecrane of the 1980s at work , seen at Astwood Bank Vintage show 2008]] Tractors Loading Shovels ex MOD loader]] They started building Loading shovels in 1954. * MH LH1 MK III - 2-wd rear steer, front drive axle, manual transmission. * MH LH1 MK IV- 2-wd rear steer, front drive axle, hydrostatic transmission * MH LH2 MK IV (A preserved example was shown in CP&M V5-5) * MH FD2 Fitted with Brockhouse Torque converter (machine No. 372 for sale in CP&M V7-1) * MH RD2 2wd Rear wheel drive front steering. 6090kg 0.57m3 bucket 1964 * MH 2-WL 2wd Rear wheel drive front steering. * MH BD4 4wd rear steer skid shovel. weight 6120kg 0.57m3 bucket 1964 * MH BD6 4wd loading shovel. weight 7711kg 1.18m3 bucket 1966 * MH BD8 4wd loading shovel. weight 11170kg 1.77m3 bucket 1964 * MH A4000 - 4-wd & steer (all wheel steer) * MH A5000 - 4-wd & steer * MH B4000 - 4-wd fitted with Ford 2711E engine * MH B5000 - 4-wd * MH B6000 - 4-wd * MH B8000 - 4wd rear steer. weight 14.034kg. 2.29m3 bucket 1969 * MH B9000 - 4wd rear steer. weight 12.755kg. 2.29m3 bucket 1971 * MH B12000 - 4wd rear steer. weight 15.800kg. 3.06m3 bucket. 1969 * MH F4000 - 2-wd fitted with Ford 2711E engine * MH F5000 - 2-wd * MH F7500 - 2wd 1978 Construction equipment They built a range of industrial Loaders and Dump trucks; * Fordson Std Based Dumper 1942-45 * Fordson E27N based Dumper 1948-51 * MH Powercart * MH 2-S 15cwt site dumper * MH 3-S 221/2cwt site dumper * MH 10B MkI 1946 ** MH 10B MkII 1959 * MH 12B 1966 * MH 14B 1963 * MH 18B 1962 * MH 13TD single axle 13 ton payload dump trailer. combined with the 101 or 110 tractor * MH 20TD twin axle 20 ton payload dump trailer. combined with the 101 or 110 tractor. * MH 25TD twin axle 25 ton payload dump trailer. Combined with 161 tractor. Lesney Matchbox SUPERKING model * MH 1250 "Earthmill" * MH T-100 Mobile strut jib carne (on a truck chassis)Photo of brochure on CMN * MH T-Six 6 ton lift capacity mobile strut jib crane. built 1966 could also be sold as a WINGET T-Six * MH T-Seven 7 ton lift capacity mobile strut jib crane. built 1966 could also be sold as a WINGET T-Seven * MH T-Eight 8 ton lift capacity mobile strut jib crane. built 1966 * MH XL200 Hydraulic Mobile Crane * MH Four 5000 4wd artic steer Rough Terrain Fork Lift Truck. 2267kg lift capacity. Ford 71BHP engine. Built 1980 Rail Locomotives & Shunters * MH Shunter 1934 * MH Model A locomotive * MH Model L Locomotive 1930's * MH Light Shunting Locomotive * MH Shunter based on Ford Super Major 5000 built in 1966 Muir Hill today ]] Since 1991 the Muir Hill''Brand name and manufacturing rights has been owned by ''Lloyd Loaders (MH) Ltd. They supply Rebuilt and second hand tractors and loaders and as well as Genuine spare parts being readily available they also deal with repairs, sales and services. They have all the Technical info available, Parts lists, Build nos, original drawings. The firm also builds new tractors to order under the'' Myth-Holm'' brand, based on updated versions of the original models. Current Models * Myth-Holm B6500 * Myth-Holm 131 * MH A5500 Preserved Examples seen at Newby Hall Vintage Gathering 2010]] Most models of the tractor line have examples preserved some in showroom condition, others have been adapted with bigger engines. * MH10B dumper - at VET * MH LH1 loader - see Photo on the MH LH1 page * MH Shunter - at the Cumbria Steam Gathering 2009 * MH Shunter - At the Belvoir Castle Steam Festival 2009 on the FFA expo display * MH Powercart * MH A5000 Shovel * MH 101 sn 101A10533 - in the borders * MH 101 sn 101A11330 - of Graham France - reg LNV 327M ex ECC with a dump trailer * MH 101 - ? at Lister Tyndale Steam Rally 2009 * MH 110 sn 110A10622 on the NE Coast - reg DUE 84K * MH 111 sn 111I32051 - P. Williams at Astwood Bank Vintage Gathering 2011 * MH 121 - ? at Bromyard Gala 2008 * MH 121 - at Astwood Bank Vintage Gathering (photo above) * MH 121 sn 121A21436 - THR 670R of P Williams at Astwood Bank Vintage Gathering 2011 * MH 121 sn 121A31801 - at Astwood Bank Vintage Gathering 2011 * MH 121 III (as featured in Classic Tractor Magazine No.87) * MH 171 - At Belvoir Castle Steam Festival (photo above) * MH 171 - at Newby Hall Vintage Gathering 2010 * MH 171 sn 171A30573 - UDD 199X at Astwood Bank Vintage Gathering See also *List of Construction Plant Manufacturers *List of Tractor Manufacturers *List of Engine Manufacturers *Shows and Meets For places to see examples on display and in action *Clubs Listing *Ford and Fordson Association - Owners group for ford and Ford based tractors References * The British Internal Combustion Locomotive 1894-1940, Brian Webb, published by David & Charles, ISBN 0-7153-6115-5 * Tractor & Machinery Magazine issue 13/9 & 13/10. * Ford Tractor Conversions by Stuart Gibbard. External links * Lloyd Loader Web site Official Muir-Hill web site * Gallery at muir-hill.com * www.smallholderservices.co.uk Another gallery of Muir-Hill photos * Ford and Fordson association Galleries Category:Companies of the United Kingdom Category:Construction plant manufacturers Category:Loading shovels Category:Muir-Hill Category:Companies founded in 1920 Category:1959 mergers Category:Dumper Trucks Category:Tractor manufacturers of the United Kingdom Category:Tractor brands